Awards / Honors

Colorado State University OnlinePlus was recognized for excellence in Email Marketing with a Colorado American Marketing Association (Co AMA) Peak Award.

Recognition for marketing community

The Peak Awards are an opportunity for the entire Colorado marketing community to be recognized for exceptional marketing, and CSU OnlinePlus was honored to represent the University as one of the top contenders.

“As CSU OnlinePlus, we are proud to be able to extend the Colorado State University land-grant mission to an entire population who wouldn’t otherwise have access to higher education,” says Jeanna Nixon, director of marketing and engagement at OnlinePlus. “Having our marketing efforts recognized by an organization that encompasses marketing as a whole, rather than higher education specifically, shows that we’re definitely on the right track in reaching our target audience. And that translates to higher enrollment rates and revenue returned to the University.”

Stellar success

Award entries were judged on criteria including strategy, objectives, creative content, and results among others. And, although the following statistics can’t be attributed to email communications alone, they have contributed significantly to the stellar success of CSU OnlinePlus over the past few years:

17.1 percent increase in revenue over the past year; 60 percent increase in the past three years

64 percent increase in the number of admitted students over the last four years

Operating cost per admitted student has fallen by 27 percent since 2008

Credit enrollments have increased 26 percent in the last three years

Tamara Burns, CSU OnlinePlus Advertising and Online Communications coordinator, explains the OnlinePlus Peak Award submission: “The goal in all of our marketing efforts is to create clear, quick paths of action for both current and prospective students, and provide the right information to the right person at the right time,” she says.

“We factor in different scenarios (Do they need to talk to an advisor? Receive program updates by email? Register for a class? Apply for admission to a degree program?), and different programs (25 degrees, 31 certificates, and 15 topical/academic areas of interest) – then use email communication to move people where they need to be.”